DeBlog: Why Are We Seeing Political Ads On Election Day?

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A lot of you are emailing asking why we’re seeing political campaign ads on TV on Election Day.

Years ago, the candidates just stopped advertising on Election Day. The idea was that people had already made up their minds.

But now if there’s money left to be spent, the campaigns spend it. They’re not trying to convince people to change their minds, they’re trying to motivate their supporters to get out and vote.

North Dakota actually had a law that bans all campaigning on election day. No ads, no signs, no nothing. But there was a recent lawsuit to overturn the ban, and at least for now, a federal judge has thrown the ban out. The argument is that the ban is an unconstitutional limit on free speech.

Plenty of North Dakota candidates have stopped campaigning, anyway. Candidates used to just not waste their money, but now Election Day advertising is part of the strategy. A lot of candidates fill the air with upbeat, positive ads, a break from the negative. Of course, all the ads will end Wednesday.